One of the most frustrating aspects of the “green” movement is the lemming effect that it has on people. It’s great that a lot of us are considering the environment when buying products, but we still need to make educated purchasing decisions and not just follow “green” trends. For instance, take organic cotton. Other than using a little less water and pesticides, organic cotton is not much different from traditional cotton. Yet many of us now connect organic cotton with environmentally-friendliness, which encourages companies to use organic cotton as opposed to other alternatives. 

I’m not trying to say that people shouldn’t buy organic cotton products. Organic cotton is the best option in the main-stream apparel industry right now. However, there are much better alternatives, such as fabric from recycled plastic bottles, which we need people to encourage apparel companies to start using. -- Zack

As a college student and a member of the next generation, I am barraged with facts and photos to scare me into recycling and solving the world’s environmental problems. So many, in fact, that sometimes it seems like there are too many mountains of trash to climb for us to ever “save the earth.”

And it only took so long for companies to realize that they could exploit our guilt and desire to help. They quickly jumped on the “green” bandwagon. Now there are “organic” and “eco-friendly” products everywhere you turn. But come on guys. We’re college students. We see the marketing ploys from a mile away. What do all of these terms even mean? I know I’m not the only one confused and skeptical about all of this stuff. 

So let's hear your thoughts! -- Zack